Train to Win: Mental Toughness

Old West is probably the toughest gunfighter in the Valley of the Sun right now. He is not the quickest nor the most accurate but he is the toughest. Powder Keg was but has moved to Washington. At the Four Corners, Powder Keg would have been seeded 1st or so but he drew Old West twice in the main match and Old West was clean in the main match.

Mental toughness is a combination of confidence and focus. Unless you are mentally tough you will not be competitive in cowboy fast draw.  It is the most important element. At Colorado I was tough for about 30 of 32 matches.  In the state I drew a shooter who I routinely handle on a monthly basis. I thought, "He must be hitting, but I am quicker, all I have to do is hit!" That thought cost me the match and moved me from 2nd seed to 5th seed.  In the Four Corners again I drew a shooter who I routinely handle on a weekly basis.  Again I thought, "He must be hitting, but I am quicker, all I have to do is hit!" Again that thought cost me a spot in the Magnificent Shootoff.

Any thought after the set command is bad.  Any thought about speed is bad. Any thought about hitting is bad. Any thought about your opponent is bad. Any thought about your last shot is bad. Any thought about your draw is bad. A shooter must shoot from the subconscious to shoot to their potential.  How do you do that?

We can learn a lot from professional golfers.  They are mentally tough. If they are not then they are not playing on the tour. If you watch them you will see that they go through the same pre-shot routine every time.  They evaluate the shot and chose their club (mental process).  Once they have decided on a shot they commit to it. They never second guess or think of the shot after they have made their decision. Then they go through their physical routine (physical process). Then most do a waggle, and then hit the shot.

A pro golfer pre-shot routine is what helps them be mentally tough.  Shooters need to develop a pre-shot routine 

My pre-shoot routine is this.  First shot is a guess on alignment. I evaluate the shot (mental process). Then I adjust my alignment, right and left, and my elevation.  After the adjustments I do not think about alignment or anything else.  I am committed to the shot. I do my waggle and I am a loaded spring waiting for the light to explode.  Any thought after the set command is bad.  On the second shot I have more information concerning my alignment to process.  Again evaluate the shot, make the adjustments, waggle, boom.   

Generally, I am walking my hits to the light.  A well shot match for me is one where each subsequent shot is closer to the light.  Walking the hits to the light is about mental toughness, not accuracy.  The process gives my mind something constructive to do while I am waiting for the set command.  The waggle is my signal to myself that I am ready to go, a loaded spring.  No more thoughts of any kind.  If I follow the routine, I will be a 80% or better shooter hitting as fast as I am capable.  Interestingly if I try to go fast, thinking about it, I am generally 30-40 mls slower.  My last shot at Colorado was mentally tough and my fastest of 4 days of shooting.

Slowing down to hit is a myth.